Lux 5 interstellar lux a.., p.22
LUX-5: Interstellar (LUX and the New TECH), page 22
There was an explosion that shook the building. Anna came over Lux’s comm. “I just set off a shaped charge to disarm an explosive device designed to destroy the dome integrity. The known cadre of saboteurs have been captured or killed. You should explain to your guests.”
The guests were pulling out their electronic devices to determine the cause of the blast. Lux tapped on his glass to get everyone’s attention and stood up. “I want you to know the origin of that blast. Last night, a coordinated attack on this colony was carried out by UN troops acting outside the scope of the UN charter. Our Mars Marines fought off an orbital attack and a land-based attack from two directions toward the city last night. Eleven Marines were lost in the attack west of the city and 158 UN troops were killed with 43 captured. East of the city there were two ships and three hundred sixty-six troops landed attempting to capture a supposedly empty military outpost.
No Marines lost their lives, but 149 UN soldiers were killed and 217 were captured.”
Lux looked around and saw the shock on the faces around him, but no one said a word as they waited for him to continue. Lux continued. “A remnant of the attacking forces who had coordinated the attacks and provided intelligence to the attackers planted an explosive device to destroy a portion of the city’s main dome. That explosion you heard was a Marine Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit destroying the bomb placed to harm the city. We have made arrangements to bring justice to the people that instigated the attacks. I will say that the people that instigated these attacks will never do so a second time. We have arrested the majority of the attackers in the city, but we don’t know if we got them all.”
Just then the door the servers were using crashed open, and a man dressed in a tattered Mars suit with no helmet burst through the door. “You cannot stop the expansion of the human race. I will…” the man reached up to his neck and collapsed. Few had seen the knife that Lux had thrown at the man. The knife had only nicked the side of his neck. Lux directed the surprised bodyguards to spread outside and get the military to set up a perimeter around the building.
Prissy whistled loudly to get everyone’s attention. Lux spoke loudly. “I think it would be fine if we call dinner a success and retired to your rooms. The local bars close at 2am. We look forward to seeing you at 10 am. We apologize for Earthly neighbors who can’t see past their greed.”
Prissy grabbed his arm and pulled him toward her. “Where did your guys pull you off to last night?"
“They took me to a deserted structure about an hour East of the city,” Lux said.
“Did that happen to be the site of some unexpected visitors? A temporarily unoccupied military outpost?” Prissy asked with eyes wide.
“We sort of had three hundred and sixty-six drop in on us, but it was okay because we weren’t totally wasted like some of your bridesmaids. What a tough night with all those drunk women,” he said with a grin.
“I’m looking forward to getting you alone,” she said and pulled him down to her with a long, slow, sensual kiss. She grabbed him in a hug and put her head against his neck. “My heart skipped a beat when you told us what happened. You always are in the thick of it.”
“As you’ve always been, Captain. My heart is in my throat whenever I hear how you were at risk?” Lux replied. “Dad just texted me. I’ll see him and get some sleep before tomorrow. See you in the morning. I love you – you know,” he said, and she kissed him again.
Chapter 11
After the Rehearsal Dinner
Lux was still dressed up and his dad had him stick around. His father came up to him after he had calmed down the Hunnicutts. “Whew,” Paulus said. “I thought they were going to go before the wedding. Looks like Ner’s lessons were useful. What happened to that guy? You only nicked his neck?”
“Robert gave me a knife with the blade coated with a snake venom from Green,” Lux explained. “Did you notice the gun he had in his hand? It was a phaser. The man was a second lieutenant with our Marines. He could have wiped out half of our leadership if he had just fanned the beam through the room. Get Anna to figure out who moved a lot of prototype weaponry to that outpost. We’re getting so large that some are going to slip through our fingers.”
“Did you mean what you said about the instigators on Earth? You sounded pretty cold-blooded,” Paulus said, worried about his son.
Lux snorted. “More cold-blooded than killing civilians: men, women, and children with no declaration of war. I intend to kill or ruin everyone even peripherally associated with that attack. They knew that wiping us out here would weaken us on Green. We’ll hit 100,000 there by the end of the year and then the population will grow exponentially. We’ll be exporting products in another year or two.”
“Is this why you wanted to talk with me?” Lux asked.
“No son,” Paulus said. “I know you’re tired, but I need you to see some things in my office then go to sleep if you can.”
“That sounds great,” Lux said sarcastically. “Do you have the constitution figured out for this place yet? I’d like to see what you have so I can steal the better ideas.”
“We’re close to voting on it. Here we are…that wasn’t a bad walk,” Paulus said. Lux could still see emergency vehicles in the distance.
“Lux,” Anna said through his subcutaneous comm. “We’ve identified the man’s compatriots from the dinner. We have text messages that finally make sense. There are several we have not apprehended but there were five in his group, and he was the leader. He was radicalized by the group, God Given Right, who espouse the absolute right to expand across the universe. Mars and the Green colony are demonized as hoarding expansion. We have all but one and we know her identity.”
“Uh-huh,” Lux said as they walked into his office. “What’s the big deal?”
His father looked around and then did a separate scan. “This was going to be your wedding present, but you realize that we’ve continued sending out our probe drones to other solar systems. Many are a bust but the gravity sensors you and Anna refined let us zero in on probable habitable worlds much faster than we did previously. Anna knows all this, but she promised not to let you know ‘til your wedding. We have three possible worlds that are habitable. One is hot like the Sahara with small oases. It’s in the habitable range. Another goes from polar to continental zones in an elliptic orbit. The last is temperate and looks Earth-like with more lakes and rivers and vast oceans but about 20% more land.”
“What do you intend to do with the information?” Lux asked.
“The council is in a tie. Half want to take the planetary information and not share it. The other half want to give it to the Earth, so they’d quit attacking us. I told them you’d get the deciding vote,” Paulus said.
“Well, I certainly don’t want to give Earth anything,” Lux said.
His father leaned back. “I didn’t expect you to side with the group that wants to keep all the information.”
“I don’t want to do that either. How much information do you have on each planet? Do you have atmospheric readings, tectonic stability, mineral surveys, salinity of oceans, amount of fresh water, axial tilt, precession, magnetic field, gravity, and what’s the biosphere like? How stable is the planet’s orbit? Does it have a stable primary star?” Lux asked.
Paulus laughed. “We have most of that, so I have had Anna design ships to find out those things. They are being built by the same Chinese shipyards as your Ore-wellian series. These would have the fittings for all the AI and Powerplants and weapons but none of that would be installed. Ours are twice as fast as the US and even a bit faster than the Irish built ships. What do you think we should do with the information?”
“Sell it to the highest bidder. Charge the US and Russia twice as much so other nations could get the information for half the price because they did not attack us. Give them snippets of information showing videos and samples of deposits, lifeforms, climate, magnetic field, gravity, tectonic activity – we ought to use a habitability scale instead of the current ones as they are too limited. Anna, would you construct such a scale – should we call it the Anna Scale?” Lux asked.
“That’s a good idea,” Paulus continued. “While all of the current habitability indices—ESI, HZI, PHI, and SPH—consider multiple factors, the PHI attempts to incorporate a broader range of criteria to provide a comprehensive evaluation of a planet's habitability. Anna should also factor in technological potential: How much supporting technological advancement would be needed for colonization by human beings, including the availability of resources, energy sources, and the feasibility of terraforming or adaptation for human needs,” Paulus said while brainstorming the issue. “Anna could sell the information at auction for billions where we would secure the information for three years. Something like that but they’d kill to get the information or steal the information from the party that paid for it.”
“I like the idea of auctioning off all the locations. We need some type of remuneration for our exploration. Secrecy and military strength are how we can initially protect our claims – after a specific period they should be on their own,” Lux said.
“The probes are gathering a lot of that data. Are you planning to go anywhere on your honeymoon? It’s traditional to go somewhere exotic these days,” Paulus asked. “I heard you and Igor Nobolick developed some new type of emitters that help with construction. Did I hear right?”
Lux laughed. “You’ve had Anna talking to the AIs on Green, haven’t you? They’re big gossips. It’s something you could use here. We’ve developed some other emitter shapes and frequencies that can be used as a weapon, I think. Who are you sending to the best of those planets? How long before the explorer ships are ready for a shakedown cruise?”
“They’re at least six months away from being ready though the freighters are beginning to roll off the assembly line. I was thinking you could easily gear up the Ore-1 and you and Prissy could go to the new system and check it out. She has experience there.”
“Dad. That last trip nearly got her killed. You trying to kill off your son and your soon-to-be daughter-in-law?”
“No…no. I just think you two and your team are more likely to do a good job. Wait ‘til I tell you where this planet is…it’s a lot further away. You could have a honeymoon on the way there,” Paulus said.
“That’s just not right. I’m not even married yet, and I know I can’t even consider this unless Prissy wants it. I’ll talk to her about it but stock up the Ore-1 for whoever you send,” Lux said.
“That’s all I can ask. See you at the wedding tomorrow. I settled down Prissy’s parents, but they are not accustomed to being at risk for anything. This is a big thrill for them.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t get any more exciting,” Lux commented and walked out of the office where Rodney was patiently waiting.
“I saw you go off with your dad and was concerned there might be some more of those UN infiltrators around,” Rodney said.
“Thanks, Rodney. My dad had some news, but I can’t talk about it yet,” Lux said as Rodney nodded and continued scanning the shadows as they walked.
◆◆◆
The Wedding
Lux was nervous. This was something he had dreamed about for years but he wondered how Prissy felt. She had told him she loved him, but he hoped he could be the man she wanted. He worried he wouldn’t be good on their honeymoon because he had little experience. He had read a lot of romance novels. Did once count as experience? He was filled with doubts as he heard the knock on his door.
He looked at the door monitor and saw it was Rodney and Robert and let them in. He fiddled with his bowtie again and then turned to the pair. “You two clean up nicely. How do I look?”
Robert scowled and tweaked Lux’s tie. “You look nice.”
“Like a lamb to the slaughter,” Rodney said. “Before you ask - I have the ring. This is where you are asking yourself, am I doing the right thing? Forty percent of the time you would be right but you’re pretty good at math and that girl has been crazy about you for years.”
“You really think so?” Lux asked. “Suddenly, I feel like I pushed her.”
“You pursued her ‘til she caught you. We’ve known longer than you,” Robert said. “Let’s go. This is one appointment you want to be early for…people who are late hear they were late until the divorce.”
They marched to the venue which for Mars was large – holding about two hundred people. It was full. Rodney, Robert, Jack, and Elijah stood with him. Evelyn and her other five sorority sisters stood on the other side. The preacher was from the Mars Marine unit, and he wore his dress uniform in silver and black. Lux had never seen the dress uniforms and it looked cool. His groomsmen were all in tuxedos. The bridesmaids were all in white gowns with plunging necklines. They looked like Greek goddesses. He thought they might outshine the bride until they started playing the Wagner Bridal Chorus processional.
Lux turned and saw Prissy coming with stunning white dress with a gossamer veil. The music played as she floated down the aisle. He had eyes for no one else. She finally made it over next to him. He smiled so much his cheeks hurt. The preacher began and talked about the solemnity of marriage and how the oaths were a contract with each other and the community. He faded out ‘til they got to the ‘Do you take’ part? He vowed he did and then focused again on this vision of beauty standing next to him and he listened to her say, ‘I do.’ He felt chills.
The preacher asked about the ring and Rodney handed it to him. He slipped it on her finger and looked into her eyes and felt a rush of love. She got a ring for him and placed it on his finger. “By the power vested in me by the government of Mars, I pronounce you, husband, and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
He took Prissy into his arms, looked at her with a smile and they shared a long, enthusiastic kiss. He presented his arm, and they strolled down the aisle to Mendelssohn’s Wedding March. They stepped out to see two rows of Marines holding up an arch of deactivated CutsAlls. Lux saw they were all deactivated before he dared go through. If they did this with other people, he thought they need a ribbon around the blade or something to indicate they were deactivated. People threw rice and then Prissy threw the bouquet over her shoulder and Tina caught it. They went to the hall reserved for the reception dinner and all the guests traipsed over after them.
The reception dinner had small tables and was much less formal than the rehearsal dinner. Everyone seemed to get along and seemed untroubled except Lux was a bit distracted by the attack and by what his father had told him.
Prissy grabbed his arm and led him away from the dinner. They went to their rooms and changed clothes. Lux knocked on Prissy’s door and she asked him to enter. “You said you had planned a great honeymoon, but you refused to tell me where we are going. Well, my husband. It is time for you to fess up.”
Lux fell back on the bed. “That attack the last two days has me worried if anywhere on Earth is safe for us. Anna booked us a six-bedroom Hilltop Residence at the Nanuku resort in Fiji about 16 kilometers from our embassy there. I would take all our security and their partners or guests. I’m not going anywhere without having some backup. We kept each other alive the last few years.”
“I wanted some alone time with you,” Prissy said. “We never get any solitude except when were in space.”
“This may be the only place on Earth we can be right now that will give us some peace. The others just have to be near because there are too many greedy interests on Earth right now. Our bodyguards and their significant others need time off too. Clothes for warm weather and a lot of sun.”
“I have a swimsuit that is next to nothing that I’ve been dying to tantalize you with…”
“Sounds like a plan,” Lux said lifting his head and propping up on his elbows. “Finish up while I make sure the rest of the crew is ready to go.”
◆◆◆
The trip to Fiji from Mars took less time than it took to get his bodyguards and their ‘significant others’ ready to leave. They took the Ore-1 because they left the Courier at Green and the Pod, and both the Pod-II were too small for a dozen people. They landed at the Mars Embassy on Fiji near the capital of Suva. They took local rides west to the resort. The land was flourishing after you got away from the crush of buildings.
The lush smells of the tropical climate blew into their faces as they arrived at their large resort residence. They decided to stay at the residence the first day before savoring the sights around the residence and a dip in the pool. They enjoyed a catered dinner. They went to a nearby private island by boat. The bodyguards, Lux, and Prissy did their usual workout, run, and CutsAll forms to the entertainment of the locals who watched them with big eyes. Lux paid a local to find him a place to practice his knife throwing and amazed the Fijians. A couple of the men asked if they could try it and Lux started them very close to the old wooden target and let them have a go at it.
The locals picked up the concept but realized they had been watching a master with Lux’s control and power. They had a nice lunch and then did some snorkeling while others took off sailing. Prissy looked stunning in her tiny bikini. The warm, crystal-clear water was just a joy to be in.
Another day they floated down the Navua River by bamboo longboat to an interior waterfall. They had coconut drinks and a fun dip in fresh, clear pools. Another morning they took a scenic ride of biking and lightweight rail buggies through river crossings, rainforest, mangroves, open coastline, and authentic villages before snorkeling more. On day five, Lux had the bodyguards fly with him and Prissy to the deserted beach looking up at Mount Tomanivi, an extinct volcano and highest mountain in Fiji.
They landed on the beach with their lifters and sat down to a packed lunch and Jack had lugged the chilled beers in an insulated pack.
“I give up. I used to try to guess what you were going to do,” Polly said. “Prissy, do you know?”
“Nope. Husband, what are you up to? You’ve been distant since before our wedding – some of the time,” she said, with a wink. “Most of the time he’s yummy,” she said, and everyone chuckled.
